Jul. 19, 2013

Written by

Nathan Bomey and Gina Damron

Detroit Free Press Business Writers

The City of Detroit withdrew a list of creditors filed with the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Eastern District of Michigan after accidentally disclosing the names and addresses of all of the city’s active employees and retirees.

Lawyers said the personally identifiable information, which was available through online court documents for people willing to pay a fee, was filed mistakenly.

“A new list with redactions will be promptly filed,” attorneys said in a court filing this morning.

The creditor list is eight documents with more than 3,000 pages listing the city’s more than 100,000 creditors, including employees, retirees, banks, unions, contractors and pension funds.

It’s unclear whether the list was ever published on the free public website established for the city’s bankruptcy.

Mark Diaz, president of the Detroit Police Officers Association, said he is dismayed that the home addresses of police officers were published.

“I think it was a very reckless decision, considering the nature of our business and the fact that not every person who we arrest is comfortable with the fact that they broke a law,” he said. “There is a strong possibility that some of those who we arrest ... would try to retaliate against a police officer.”

Detroit police spokeswoman Sgt. Eren Stephens said the department had no comment on the matter.

Diaz said publishing the detailed list of addresses put officers in jeopardy and their families. He said the mistake was recognized, but it might be too late.

“I don’t believe you can un-ring that bell,” Diaz said.

In a statement this afternoon, the presidents of the DPOA, Detroit Fire Fighters Association, Detroit Police Command Officers Association and the Detroit Police Lieutenants and Sergeants Association said they were “distressed” by the decision to publish the names and addresses of their members.

“At a minimum, this was negligence,” the statement says. “All agree that the city is confronting serious economic issues. That said, there is no excuse for adding to these problems by creating unnecessary personal risks to our members.”